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Tuks coach Motaung positive despite Sundowns Nedbank Cup challenge
'From the technical side of things, we would have loved to have played at our stadium,' said the TUKS head coach.
TUKS head coach Tlisane Motaung is staying positive despite not being able to play Sundowns at his side’s regular home ground. Picture: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix
AmaTuks coach Tlisane Motaung remains positive of causing a huge upset against neighbours Mamelodi Sundowns in Friday’s Nedbank Cup quarterfinal clash at Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville.
The game has been moved from the Tuks Stadium because it clashes with other events this week. Motaung would have preferred to play the Tshwane derby at the University of Pretoria’s traditional home ground in Hatfield.
“From the technical side of things, we would have loved to have played at our stadium,” he said.
“The hostility at Lucas Moripe Stadium will be bigger as opposed to our stadium where we were going to control it a little bit better. Obviously, from a logistic point of view, a decision had to be taken and one respects it. From a technical side, it’s an away game but from a logistics side of things it’s a home game.”
In addition to the fact that AmaTuks will be playing some 21 km away from their home venue, they will also be missing the services of Sundowns loanees Promise Mkhuma and Thabang Sibanyoni because of a clause that prohibits them from playing against their parent club.
‘We would have loved to have him’
“He has been very critical for us looking at where we are now in the league, we would have loved to have him,” Motaung said about Sibanyoni who has scored four goals in the last five matches for the Motsepe Foundation Championship side.
“But the reality is that we know about the loan agreement and it was there before we could even have him at a training session. We’re not going to focus on that and worry ourselves because I see it as a platform to give other players an opportunity to really demonstrate what they are capable of.
“He would have played a great role for us and we would have loved to have him for this particular match but due to a contractual agreement, we won’t have him. Promise Mkhuma won’t be available for this match as well and we respect that because it’s something that we knew when we brought them to the club.”
AmaTuks will be hoping to repeat the feat of the 2009 team that upset the form book to reach the final of Nedbank Cup, where they eventually lost 1-0 to Moroka Swallows.
